


Conversation in the Pub

by DaisyFairy



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: First Kiss, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-11
Updated: 2016-08-11
Packaged: 2018-08-08 02:48:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7740484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaisyFairy/pseuds/DaisyFairy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John is married to Mary with a baby. He goes to meet Sherlock and Greg in the pub when talk turns to retirement and John accidentally reveals more than he intended.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Conversation in the Pub

Sherlock and Greg are waiting in a corner booth in the Red Lion. John was supposed to have met them half an hour ago. Sherlock is trying to convince Greg that he should get his clothes professionally laundered and pressed to "avoid looking like a homeless person going for an interview." when John walks in, shrugging his jacket off as he approaches the booth.

"Sorry I'm late, that last patient just wouldn't stop talking about her cats."

Greg nods and replies "So, the missus let you out then? Haven't seen you for ages."

"Come on Greg, it's not like I'm locked up, I've just been busy recently."

"I haven't seen him in two weeks." Sherlock pipes in sounding aggrieved

"We invited you for dinner last week you git. It's not my fault if you didn't want to come."

"Mary was going to cook." Sherlock states as if this explains everything.

Lestrade chuckles "Don't be ridiculous it's not like she's going to poison you."

John and Sherlock's eyes lock awkwardly while Greg is distracted by the football scores on the tv over the bar. After an unnaturally long pause Sherlock replies "I'm very particular about what I eat."

Lestrade stares at him and then laughs uncontrollably for several minutes. John giggles along with him while Sherlock looks disdainfully at the two of them. Eventually, panting as he tries to get his breath back Greg gasps his way through saying "I saw you lick the pavement last week, and the other month I came to the flat and found you eating moldy left over Chinese."

"He wasn't!" John gasps incredulously.

"He was, he was picking out the moldy bits."

"Ewwww, Sherlock! Why?"

"It was fine. I had checked the species of mold and it wasn't anything dangerous."

"Don't worry John, I made him throw it out and took him down to the cafe for some real food."

"Anyway. That is enough of discussing my menu choices. We have established that John is now boring and married and his wife controls his every move."

John shifts a bit awkwardly in his seat until Greg breaks the tension, saying "My round I think." and heading up to the bar.

Several rounds later they are trying to explain the offside rule to Sherlock while gesturing to the match still playing on the tv.

"It all seems pointless to me. Why can't the team mates of the one with the ball form a human barricade around him and then all walk to the opposing teams goal. It could be similar to the Roman Testudo tactic, if no one from the other team is allowed to physically restrain them they could get to the goal unopposed."

"You deleted football, but kept ancient Roman battle techniques." John says shaking his head. He is about to try to explain why this tactic wouldn't be allowed when Greg's phone gives a buzz and he checks it. The other two men look on curiously, wondering if there is a case on.

"False alarm lads, no dead bodies. Just an email about my pension. Bloody things useless, seems like every year the predicted pension gets worse. I'll be lucky to have a pot to piss in when I retire at this rate."

"Don't worry I'm sure Mycroft can keep you in the manner to which you have become accustomed." John teases.

"I. am. not. dating Sherlock's brother." Greg replies defensively

"Only because you are both too uptight to ask each other. We should set them up Sherlock, maybe Mycroft would loosen up a bit if he had a good shag."

Greg closes his eyes and attempts to stop the blush that is threatening to break out over his face. Sherlock gapes and whispers "I'm going to be sick." Before making a hasty retreat to the toilets.

"Not that he's dramatic or anything." John chuckles.

The pair turn their attention to the match which is nearing it's conclusion and drink in silence until Sherlock returns looking appalled.

Sherlock sits stiffly and glares at John. To avoid breaking into laughter at his friend's dramatics and making him worse John asks Greg "What will you do when you retire do you think?"

Greg latches onto this change of topic "Um, don't know really. It's a few years off yet, but, maybe a spot of fishing. I used to like it when I was younger, nice and relaxing."

Sherlock breaks into a broad grin. "Excellent, fishermen are always coming across dead bodies washed up. You will still be useful to me even when you are old and decrepit."

Greg looks at him with his lips twitching, threatening to burst into laughter again. "I promise, any dead bodies I come across I'll let you know."

Greg turns to face John "So, what do you think you'll do when you retire?"

John, gives a lopsided smile and replies "Well Sherlock has said a few times he wants to keep bees, so we'll probably move to the country somewhere so he can have a few hives, and I'll do the garden. Used to help my mum with all of that when I lived at home."

Greg nods a few times, then what he heard sinks in and his eyes widen and his mouth drops open. He stares at John, who seems to not have noticed what he said and is looking seriously at the special offer drinks menu on the table. Sherlock is grinning like a Cheshire cat at his best friend's accidental admission.

"Um, mate. Is, um, is Mary moving to the country with you then?"

John looks up, his brow furrows for a second as he tries to work out what Greg means. As realisation of what he said hits his eyes widen and he stands quickly, dashing towards the bar shouting over his shoulder "My round."

Greg and Sherlock look at each other, then at the three almost full glasses already on the table in front of them. They both turn to watch John, who contrary to all established norms seems to be doing his best to be the last person at the bar to be served.

"What he said, have you two talked about that before then? Retiring together."

"No. Beyond, as John mentioned, my occasionally saying that I would like to keep bees one day, no." Sherlock says, his lips tipped upwards in happiness and his eyes crinkled at the corners.

"So, are you two having an affair or something then?" Greg asks as at the bar John is indicating to the barman that a man, who had only just got there, is ahead of him in the queue.

"No. We aren't having an affair. John has always said he is not gay, and in any case Mary would kill me." Sherlock replies, still smiling despite his negative answer.

"Yeah, I'm sure she would be pissed, but, she'd get over it. They could get a divorce. We both know John wouldn't just abandon her with the baby, he'd always help out with Lucy, but he doesn't need to be married to her to do that. Then you two could be together like I always thought you should have been."

Sherlock's smile falters "No. She would literally kill me. She wasn't really trying last time and nearly succeeded, this time she would be far more motivated."

Greg looks at him shocked.

"You never did know who shot me did you?" Sherlock whispers.

"BLOODY..." Greg starts to shout, then lowers his tone significantly when people turn to look at them. "Bloody hell, does John know?"

"Yes, but they were having a baby, and she had her reasons. He forgave her."

Greg turns to look at John and sees that he is now approaching having finally been unable to avoid being served. Greg's eyes sweep up and down John as he approaches, trying to work out exactly what John was thinking taking Mary back. John narrows his eyes in response as he reaches the table and says "Can't we just forget what I said, put it down to the drink."

The next hour passes awkwardly. Long silences interspersed with small talk about people at the yard, sport, and in Sherlock's case his latest experiment with human eyeballs. Eventually Greg can't stand the tension anymore and stands to leave, as he shrugs his jacket on he says "Night lads. Lets not wait too long to do this again." Then gesturing vaguely between them he continues "And.. Just sort this out, life's too short for this kind of messing about. See you."

The two men at the table mumble awkward goodbyes then shift uncomfortably in their seats purposely avoiding one another's gaze.

After taking several deep breaths to build up his courage Sherlock asks "So... we're keeping bees are we?"

John huffs a laugh "You are. I can't stand the little stinging bastards. I'll stick to the flowers and vegetables thank you."

"You do know the bees will visit your flowers don't you."

"Yes, as long as they bugger off home afterwards I don't care."

Sherlock giggles. "So, these bees that visit your flowers, would they be the same ones that live in my hive?"

John looks up at him cautiously "I suppose so."

"We're living next door to each other then."

"A bit closer than that I thought."

"Hmmm. I suppose we could share a house, split the bills and such, we have done it before."

"Yeah, something like that."

"So, when you think about the future, is anyone else there?"Sherlock asks carefully.

"I suppose Lucy will be all grown up, but she could come and visit, maybe bring the grandkids... We'd have to have two bedrooms so there's somewhere for her to stay." John says, wincing slightly at the blatant implication he is making.

Sherlock is smiling again now, but he still wants to probe at this further "Where is Mary then, in our retirement plans?"

John swallows and looks a little guilty as he replies "I really don't care."

They sit in contemplation and finish their drinks, John goes and fetches them both a whisky from the bar and when he returned instead of sitting opposite his friend he moves to the seat next to him.

"I, I did try to forgive her. I know you said I should, and I did love her, still do I suppose, in a way. Then there's Lucy, she needs her mum."

Sherlock nods sadly, expecting this to lead up to a brush off and insistence that their conversation had all just been hypothetical.

"But I always loved you more."

Sherlock's eyes widen and his breath catches in shock.

"So, I guess I'm saying that, if you want, if that's the kind of thing you like, if you'll have me, maybe we could start the whole living together again thing a bit sooner than our retirement."

Sherlock is sitting stock still with a glazed look in his eyes. John reaches over tentatively and takes his hand. Slowly he lifts it to his lips and places a soft kiss on Sherlock's knuckles, his eyes never leaving Sherlock's face.

As John's lips brush against his skin Sherlock blinks and shakes his head slightly as he comes back to reality.

"John?" Sherlock asks in a small voice, sounding horribly unsure.

John smiles and turns towards him, then leans in to press his lips gently against those of the man he loves. It isn't even really a kiss at first, just contact, then gradually they move, tilting their heads slightly to slot their lips together. Still holding hands they bring their spare hands up to hold each other closer, Sherlock pulling gently on John's shoulder and John resting his hand on the small of Sherlock's back. They both flick their tongues out at the same time to lick against the others lips and freeze when they make unexpected contact. A shudder runs through them and they break the kiss just leaning against one another, their foreheads touching, and breathing the same air. Sherlock's eyes are damp with unshed tears, and John finds himself squeezing Sherlock's hand far too hard to try to quell the trembling that is threatening to overtake his body. After what feels like a lifetime they break apart and sit back in their chairs, the only point of contact being the hands which do not seem able to let go. They are staring straight ahead at the bar as they resume their conversation.

"Umm, what about the whole 'Not Gay' thing?" 

"Caught me by surprise too" John admits.

"You'll come back to Baker Street?" It is a question that wants to be a statement, but Sherlock can't find the confidence to make it so.

"We need to sort some things out. I don't think Mary will take it very well, but, I need to talk to her before we, well, before anything happens."

Sherlock nods firmly then states "You mean sex."

John sounds embarrassed as he says "Yeah, is that ok? You, I didn't get that wrong did I?"

"No! No, I, yes, that would be nice." Sherlock stumbles through his sentence hoping that his meaning is clear.

"Yeah, it. God, yeah it would be nice."

"Soon?"

John turns and smiles softly, nods once and says "Soon." He places a kiss on Sherlock's cheek, releases his hand and stands to put his coat on. "I should go, Lucy's been a terror recently and Mary might want a hand with the night feeds."

Sherlock nods, he swallows a lump that has formed in his throat. "She could get violent."

"We'll talk in the morning, make a plan." He goes to leave then turns back and says "You should go home, didn't you say you needed to check on your eyeballs when you got back."

"Yes, I should. We'll speak tomorrow then?"

"I promise." John whispers, then walks out of the door quickly to give himself no more time to give in to the temptation to stay.

Sherlock sits for several seconds then leaves with a bounce in his step, actually excited about his future for the first time in far too long.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked my little ficlet.
> 
> I am DaisyFairy1 on Tumblr.
> 
> Have a lovely day x


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